hiking, i suck at it. what exercises to get better?

[Young Grasshopper]

i went hiking today with a few people at griffith park here in LA last night. we went up a trail which was considered a '3'(level of difficulty) and about halfway up the trail i was pretty exhausted(but could keep going). once we reached the halfway point i was almost dying. THANK GOD i made it that far to rest because the second i did i started getting lightheaded. looking back at it now im VERY lucky i didnt fall off the trail. i also wore anti-hiking shoes(asics onitsukas) and tight jeans which probably made it worse.


i am pretty overweight for someone my size(6'0, 200lbs) and while i exercise, i do not do any cardio at all(only weights as im on the starting strength program). this is making rethink my plans. my friend is trying to lose weight and im thinking i should as well and maybe lose 25 pounds and get back to 175. good idea? im thinking my legs were getting stressed yesterday as they're not used to pulling that much of my body weight up the hike so shedding 25lbs might help.

 

[edro]

More hiking.

 

[NuclearNed]

Originally posted by: edro
More hiking.

...with a weighted backpack

 

[oboeguy]

Get some trail shoes, ride a bike and/or elliptical. Oh, and walk more?

 

[Young Grasshopper]

Originally posted by: edro
More hiking.

i dont want to go up that hike again until i know i can finish it. i dont want to stall the rest of the pack. just wanted to know if there are any exercises i can do on my own time.

 

[NuclearNed]

Originally posted by: Young Grasshopper

Originally posted by: edro
More hiking.

i dont want to go up that hike again until i know i can finish it. i dont want to stall the rest of the pack. just wanted to know if there are any exercises i can do on my own time.

Do the previously mentioned weighted backpack thing while walking up and down on a staircase. Start out light - maybe 25 pounds for 20 minutes. Try to work up to an hour, then start increasing your weight.

I do some technical alpine climbing, and this is a major portion of my training regimen.

 

[Liet]

Cardio's probably the most important. You can also do the elliptical at a high incline and resistance, use a stair machine (or actual stairs!), and run on a treadmill at an incline.

 

[z1ggy]

What gave out first.. your legs or the cardio? You could try a stair stepper as that would kind of do both at the same time. Also.. walking briskly on a treadmill with a good incline can help too.

 

[Young Grasshopper]

Originally posted by: z1ggy
What gave out first.. your legs or the cardio? You could try a stair stepper as that would kind of do both at the same time. Also.. walking briskly on a treadmill with a good incline can help too.

im not sure, both maybe? during the last few minutes i was breathing HEAVILY, and crawling up the last few feet. once we were up and resting i had to sit down, and i started getting light headed. felt like i was in a dream or something. the first question they asked me were if my sides were hurting(sore), i said no they werent because i do the other exercises.


looking back at it now, im really glad i was at least able to get up to that rest point. shit was scary to think about and im damn lucky i didnt pass out on the way up the trail. id like to be able to do some exercises so that i can finish it easily next time.

 

[zoiks]

It just means you're out of shape. You need to start running or find a way to increase your stamina. I'm not much of a hiker but I like to fish in certain areas that would otherwise be overlooked by other people. Along the Pacific coast in Big Sur there is a place where I can hike down the hills and fish right at the waters edge on a small rock. Being so steep, I had issues going back up some time back and it felt like I would have a heart attack. I did this for a while until I started exercising and running. Now I can complete the hike back up without stopping with relative ease.
Lose your weight and you'll feel a lot better about yourself.

 

[Titan]

dude, get trekking poles. I am way out of shape and they help me cuz I have back problems. I believe anyone hiking should use them for safety at least going back down the trail. I use them everywhere I walk and shift a lot of my weight to my arms so I'm more efficient and get a total-body workout.

Coleman makes them for 10-15 bucks a pole. No need to get the insane 100 dollar poles, they are pretty much the same.

 

[z1ggy]

You weren't hyrated enough it sounds like and on top fo that you were out of shape. Cardio was bad..leading to you huffing and puffing like a mofo. Make sure you bring lots of water with you nd to eat a good meal the night before also. Maybe you should eat a little better to along with a carido training routine.

 

[Xcrown]

Hiking is wonderful. Ive done backcounrty hiking for so long now, its my MAIN way to vacation and get away from everything. I wish I could hike more.

For starters, like everyone keeps saying, hike and hike more. But instead of doing slopes and hills, find flat trails that just might have some inclinces here and there. Use a pack but dont weigh it down, just get used to the feel of hiking with something on your back.

As others have said, use the hiking poles. You can get cheap ones at walmart that will last you several hiking trips. They take alot of stress off your legs and let your arms work some too plus they make you look like a cyborg badass (ok I day dream alot).

If youre not hiking, go walking, alot. Running will help, but really, you only need to walk.

Where are you from? Whats available for hiking in that area?? Man, now I really wanna go hiking again.

Xcrown

ps, pm me if you have any questions, I love talking trails.

 

[Safeway]

Originally posted by: NuclearNed

Originally posted by: edro
More hiking.

...with a weighted backpack

A long distance. I see people at White Rock Lake in hiking boots, jeans, hat, backpack. Hell, I see entire Boy Scout troops training.

 

[Babbles]

Originally posted by: Young Grasshopper

Originally posted by: edro
More hiking.

i dont want to go up that hike again until i know i can finish it. i dont want to stall the rest of the pack. just wanted to know if there are any exercises i can do on my own time.

Really there isn't much else to do but just keep on hiking. I would suggest finding some park that is a bit more level to train at to get your stamina going.

I definitely would NOT recommend carrying a weighted pack. Clearly you are not in shape and as such putting that sort of weight on you could probably lead to injury.

I can't get into trekking poles and I think maybe you should avoid using them so you don't end up using them as a crutch as you get your stamina up. With that being said I suppose other people have had good luck with them - just not my bag.

 

[ViviTheMage]

get some better shoes, and hike more..it will get better.

 

[Martin]

Any cardio really, including more hiking. If you get into cardio, you'd be amazed at how much stamina you might have.

I was around Seattle 3 summers ago and had 1 free day, so I decided to check out Mr. Rainier. I hadn't done any hiking (no mountains around here), but I did a lot of cycling that summer. I ended up doing a 16 mile long hike which included climbing up over 3000 feet, all in about 7.

 

[randalee]

I am going hiking next week and I'm worried. I've done this hike a half dozen times before, but it has been 10 years since I did it last. Hiking to Table Rock in Grand Teton National Park (11,000 feet almost). I have been walking to prepare. Went to the sand dunes and did some climbing up the sand dunes. That REALLY moved some wind through my lungs.

 

[anxi80]

Originally posted by: Babbles
I can't get into trekking poles and I think maybe you should avoid using them so you don't end up using them as a crutch as you get your stamina up. With that being said I suppose other people have had good luck with them - just not my bag.

i agree. i just completed san jacinto a couple weeks back and one person brought trekking poles and it was great for his knee's but it slowed him down considerably and me and another hiker had to wait for him to catch up a lot of the times (he had the car keys). but to each his own.

edit: op - im currently training to do a day-hike of whitney. what i do is go running on the beach and when i come to a set of stairs that lead down to the beach, i go up the stairs, come down, and then run some more down the beach and do the same at the next set of stairs. its only been a couple months and can already see better results on the usual trails i hike on. your profile says l.a., may want to give that a shot.

 

[Young Grasshopper]

im probably just going to do alot of running at the beach, and run up and down the stairs they have there. along with some light barbell training(squats). and im not intertested in the poles, theyll make me look like a pussy.


thanks

 

[DrPizza]

What kind of exercise? As has been said, do more hiking! Just don't choose more difficult/longer routes at first. Then again, someone corrected me in a previous thread when I said people shouldn't compartmentalize the fitness aspects of their life as a something you do for 30-60 minutes a day routine at a YMCA - they pointed out (correctly) that some people live in bigger cities which are simply not conducive toward having a more active lifestyle in which you get your fitness doing other activities. i.e. apparently there aren't tons of hiking opportunities in your neighborhood, although several of us have said to simply hike more.

So, as you're in LA, then you should probably do more cardio workouts. I'd recommend a stationary bike as it targets the heavier leg muscles as well as builds your stamina. Either that, or move to a more rural area.

 

[Babbles]

Originally posted by: anxi80

Originally posted by: Babbles
I can't get into trekking poles and I think maybe you should avoid using them so you don't end up using them as a crutch as you get your stamina up. With that being said I suppose other people have had good luck with them - just not my bag.

i agree. i just completed san jacinto a couple weeks back and one person brought trekking poles and it was great for his knee's but it slowed him down considerably and me and another hiker had to wait for him to catch up a lot of the times (he had the car keys). but to each his own.

edit: op - im currently training to do a day-hike of whitney. what i do is go running on the beach and when i come to a set of stairs that lead down to the beach, i go up the stairs, come down, and then run some more down the beach and do the same at the next set of stairs. its only been a couple months and can already see better results on the usual trails i hike on. your profile says l.a., may want to give that a shot.

I was daydreaming about doing the Appalachian trail - I can't take that time off and I got more than a touch of arthritis in my hip so I just don't I can make it - but I was surfing around on the internet and forums to get some information. It seems that the majority consensus is that when doing the Appalachian trail, trekking poles are just dead weight. I could maybe see their benefit if you were doing some steep incline/decline but I would get annoyed having to carry them around all day; I want my hands free.

 

[Titan]

Originally posted by: Babbles

Originally posted by: anxi80

Originally posted by: Babbles
I can't get into trekking poles and I think maybe you should avoid using them so you don't end up using them as a crutch as you get your stamina up. With that being said I suppose other people have had good luck with them - just not my bag.

i agree. i just completed san jacinto a couple weeks back and one person brought trekking poles and it was great for his knee's but it slowed him down considerably and me and another hiker had to wait for him to catch up a lot of the times (he had the car keys). but to each his own.

edit: op - im currently training to do a day-hike of whitney. what i do is go running on the beach and when i come to a set of stairs that lead down to the beach, i go up the stairs, come down, and then run some more down the beach and do the same at the next set of stairs. its only been a couple months and can already see better results on the usual trails i hike on. your profile says l.a., may want to give that a shot.

I was daydreaming about doing the Appalachian trail - I can't take that time off and I got more than a touch of arthritis in my hip so I just don't I can make it - but I was surfing around on the internet and forums to get some information. It seems that the majority consensus is that when doing the Appalachian trail, trekking poles are just dead weight. I could maybe see their benefit if you were doing some steep incline/decline but I would get annoyed having to carry them around all day; I want my hands free.

Sorry I completely disagree. Maybe it's because I have good technique from my martial arts training but I move quick and the poles support that, people can't keep up with me as I take long strides and really put each pole far ahead of me.

Dead weight? each weighs like 1 pound and be collapsed into your pack. Anyone hiking back down a rocky summit should have them for bad spots. Last thing you need is to slip on a wet rock and bust your skull because you're tired and the terrain was too rugged.

 

[tynopik]

a stationary bike
1) improves legs
2) improves endurance

 

[Xcrown]

Originally posted by: Young Grasshopper
im probably just going to do alot of running at the beach, and run up and down the stairs they have there. along with some light barbell training(squats). and im not intertested in the poles, theyll make me look like a pussy.


thanks

Dont throw down the poles so easily. When you get the technique down, its like walking on four legs instead of two. It does wonders going up hills and it can save your life (or your ankles or a few bones) coming downhill. I once thought poles made me look silly. Then I went hiking no the appalachian trail and saw everyone using them. Tried it out and have never looked back.

Xcrown